THE young FAMILY: A Hayes Check in

Oh sweet Hayes. How I love this girl. I have certainly not done a monthly update on her, but not because she is not impressing us every day. She is just such a love. She is a cuddly, sweet girl who would rather be held than anything else. I swear I should have the most toned left arm in the world from carrying her around all the time, but sadly, that's not the case! She will not allow being left alone in a room, she has to have someone everywhere she is. It does not matter if you are down playing with her or folding laundry across the room, she just likes to be able to look up, see someone and smile. She has the biggest smile and it never, ever gets old. I could watch her smile all day and feel just full inside. Because of how content and happy she is, she still is not crawling! She almost is, she is up on all fours rocking, but then she splats. But for so long, she was just happy sitting! She has only been motivated to move in the past 2 weeks and she has come far. Not only is she up on all fours and rocking, but she pulled up all on her own last night for the first time which is big for her! Funny that C was almost walking at this point, but what I love is that they are so different. Hayes loves Carrie. She thinks she is so funny, but when C gets up in her face, Hayes definitely knows to push her back. C wants to play with Hayes so badly and does not seem to really understand the concept of being gentle. But Hayes is tough so they do entertain each other well. I love watching them just laugh with each other. I will say that as Hayes kind of learns to scoot around, she does get into Carrie's things more so having to learn how to share around the house all day is something we are working on! Usually Carrie just trades Hayes for what she wants and Hayes doesn't care, but I do have to make Carrie trade back so she can learn she cannot always have what she wants! A hard concept haha. Hayes also LOVES the dogs. It is the cutest, funniest thing. C has always loved the dogs, but H is different. She seeks them out. Scoots right over by them and just cackle laughs she is so excited. When she sits in her high chair and eats, she will sneak Shammi some food and then look over at me to see if I caught her and if I have, she just gets this mischievous grin. She is also big into music. She loves drumming on anything and any toy that plays music. She will press a button on her music table and when the song starts, she gets a huge grin, turns to look at whoever is in the room and then starts waving her arms and clapping. It's hilarious. (see video below) Another difference between the 2 is that Hayes is SUCH a good eater. C has always been pickier, but Hayes will truly eat anything and everything. And she eats a lot :). We just went to her 9 month check up and she is 23 lbs of chubby lovin (96%), 29.5 inches (96%) and her head was about 100%. Another big girl around here! Hayes is trying to talk more. She says "mama" "dada" and "baba" but she is trying to say other things and making other sounds. It's fun to go through books with her and point things out and listen to her try to repeat it, but it's just a sound. So cute, though. Hayes loves the water...swimming and bathing. Anywhere she can splash and try to suck water off of toys, she is happy. Overall, she is the happiest, easiest little baby and we are so blessed by her.

Little things I am loving the most:
When I pick her up after sleeping, she wraps both arms around my neck and squeezes me tight.
When I hold her and pat her back when she is crying, she pats my back, too.
She has a secret mischievous side. She will reach up and grab my hair with a huge grin and do this evil little cackle. It's so funny.
She may be easy and sweet, but she makes herself heard. You will know it in a hurry if she is unhappy.
If she is done with something, food/toy/bottle and you try to give it back to her, she grabs it and tosses it off to the side. Girl knows what she wants.
And just overall, lovin her. She adds a great deal to our little family and I cannot believe she is already 9 months +.

Her favorite place to play...C's kitchen. She just loves to pull everything out and bang on all of it and make a huge mess.